Monday, March 26, 2012

Need You Now

Whew! I just finished Need You Now, and it was like riding a roller coaster. There is drama, suspense, tragedy, and triumph.

The Henderson family relocates to a small town in Texas. They left Houston in hopes of getting their 3 children away from negative influences; however, the drama does not go away quietly as they settle in Round Top, Texas. Darlene, the mother, is struggling to find herself as her children need her less and she still has a lot to give. Brad, the father, is working overtime to make partner and wonders if his hard work will really pay-off. Chad, the eldest son, left drama behind in Houston but is still faces temptation in Round Top. Grace, the middle daughter, is the perfect child as she hides her true feelings and is overwhelmed with keeping up appearances. Ansley, the youngest daughter, is the only member of the family without drama. Also, the family is surprised to find out their next door neighbor was a Hollywood movie star was drama of her own.

It took 100 pages for all these characters to be introduced and all these story lines to be developed. Initially the book was slow as the author was laying the groundwork for all these characters and their respective issues. Then in the last 100 pages, the story was fast-paced as the issues were brought to light and characters had a change of heart or realization about their issues. It was a slow build up and then a fast ride to the end, like a roller coaster.

I am surprised that this book is only 250 pages long. It could have been so much longer. There were a few issues that were never really resolved by the end of the book. The character of Ansley was never developed, and she could have easily been left out of the story altogether. Chad's history in Houston was never fully revealed. I could foresee the author adding another book to this series, either as a prequel or a sequel.

Thomas Nelson provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for me review which I freely give.

1 comment:

I loved this book as well. Very realistic portrayal of the struggles of marriage and raising a family. Despite all the difficulties they face, the book overall is very hopeful, and I think most readers will be able to relate to the problems. It would also be a helpful book for someone who wants to understand what goes on in the mind of a teen who seems “perfect” on the outside but is dealing with life’s pressure in a very unhealthy way. Great book!